Speeches

Good morning! 

I’d like to start by acknowledging that we gather today on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have lived in the Salish Sea basin, all throughout the San Juan Islands, and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial. 

Thank you for joining me for the 2024 State of the University address. Uzma and I extend our warmest greetings and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you.  We are grateful to see you here at the start of a new academic year. We have much to be proud of as a…

Uzma and I want to thank you all for being here on this very special occasion. We have many special guests with us today, whose support and advocacy have made this project possible. I would particularly like to thank U.S. Congressman Rick Larsen for securing federal funding for the project, as well as several state legislators for securing state funding, including State Representative Debra Lekanoff who was unable to join us today but has been a champion for the project in the state legislature and providing the inspiration for the name, the House of Healing. I also want to recognize…

Good morning!

Thank you for joining us. Uzma and I extend our warmest greetings and heartfelt welcome to each and every one of you. Whether you have been at Western for decades or have just joined us, it’s an honor to see you here and a pleasure to know all the ways you make our academic community vibrant and dynamic.

Each Fall brings new promise and exciting possibilities. But this year, perhaps even more than most, we should take care not to lose sight of the core values that brought us all to this work while also keeping a clear focus on the landscape before us.

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